Eleven Reflections on September is a poetry-based, multi-media performance on the Arab American experience, Wars on/of Terror, and “the constant, quiet rain of death amidst beauty” that each autumn brings in a post-9/11 world. This production is based on the series of poems Andrea Assaf has been writing since 2001, spanning the fall of the towers, the on-going wars, and the current revolutions sweeping through the Arab world. This multi-disciplinary project includes performances with interactive media design and live music; nightly community dialogues; a visual arts exhibit; open mics, panels and opportunities for action.

Assaf is collaborating with Minneapolis-based media designer and Artistic Director of Aniccha Arts, Pramila Vasudevan, and other guest artists to create a holistic, interactive design. The exceptional musicians here in the Twin Cities—Salah Fattah, Tim O’Keefe and Aida Shahghasemi—will also add a rich, non-verbal dimension to the experience of the poetry.

ACT 2: Post-Performance Dialogues, Gallery & Associated Events

After every performance, audience members will be invited to talk about their perceptions. Over coffee/tea and Arab munchies, audiences will participate in a dialogue with the artists and each other, in the Eleven Reflections Gallery. Each dialogue, facilitated by Sandy Agustin, will feature feature a local organization that works on related issues, such as the Iraqi & American Reconciliation Project and peace activists, and will offer opportunities for audiences to contribute to the creative development of the show or take action. Hear from Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), local Arab scholars, Arab American playwrights, and see performances by other Twin Cities artists!

The Eleven Reflections Gallery will feature a diverse range of visual art and media exhibits, such as an interactive installation by James Scruggs, who was an artist-in-residence in the Twin Towers in 2001, fabric art by an Iraq war veteran, and other exhibits by Arab artists and community members affected by war